A Family of their Own

11Sep

Well, I’m getting a little more used to my new Dell and thought I’d get back on the Microsoft Word wagon with a blog post to let you know what I’m up to here in Haiti. With many of our kids being united with their Forever Families this year and a greater focus on outpatient assistance, our total number of kids living at COTP is going down and the percentage of our kids with special needs continues to increase. These kids, with diagnoses like cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, hold a very special place in our hearts, though their exact futures are unknown. Several months ago we were blessed to get connected with Andrew Brereton, the founder and director of Snowdrop. He watched videos of our kiddos and created a program specifically for them. There are several exercises that we do with every kid, and then each one has a few exercises selected just for them. The goal is twice a day, amounting to about one hour per kiddo. With 12 of our kiddos in the program, that is more than a full-time job! Hence, my job for the week: teach the nannies how to do Snowdrop therapy.

Yesterday was the first day and I was a little apprehensive because the nannies on the shift have been known to be a little difficult at times, especially in the face of change or added responsibility. Turns out I had no reason to worry because the kids and nannies were all perfect! They each chose one of their assigned kids to practice with and then I demonstrated the exercises with another little one from the same room. I don’t know if it was the training certificates I printed for them, or the fact that little M just couldn’t stop giggling the whole time we did therapy (he’s so ticklish), or that God just paved the way (well, it’s probably that!) but everyone was very receptive and excited about this new way they could help our kiddos improve. They promised they would do therapy every day if I would laminate their certificates. A small tradeoff!

I can’t publicly list these amazing little ones, but most of them are still waiting for their Forever Families. Adoption is a special calling, and adopting a child with special needs comes with its own challenges, but also its own incomparable blessings. If you or someone you know are interested in adopting a child with special needs, please get in touch with us. You will find adoption information at http://childrenofthepromise.org/why-adoption/. Daily therapy is a huge step in the right direction for these kiddos, but there is nothing that compares to living in a family of your very own.